March 29, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Manager Emeritus.

Tomorrow I am giving myself a promotion. I am declaring myself a Manager Emeritus. I have the vision of myself bustling around the office, looking important and talking to people, but not really doing anything that smacks of stress. In my minds eye I recall Robertson Davies at the University of Toronto as the Professor Emeritus, giving a class every now and then and talking to students and visitors, and every day walking briskly around the campus feeling happy and content. I have been doing it for a bit anyway, so tomorrow I am declaring myself as such. Suzanne suggests that the title means I will not be paid, but I don't intend to let the "powers that be" at Long and Foster know about that aspect of my title. It all sounds marvelous being a Manager Emeritus.

We have worked very hard to keep the systems in the office alive and well all through the years, in order to allow the agents a platform to do their work. When I was 60 and needed more time away from the office, Carole and the Metro office joined with us, to make a bigger, better office. It worked well for the agents and the office grew. Then 70 came along, and Ned joined us as another Manager, thus allowing me to take more visits to my family. Historically, when an office is very productive, it will only keep the volume high when the Manager is in place. But we have worked out a better plan and it is working very well. The productivity stays high, the systems are in place for success of the agents, so I am giving myself a new title. But I intend to stay around, probably until I turn eighty, still as the Manager Emeritus. I think it suits me.